Hibs in 'job done' ambition as gaffer outlines path to Scottish Premiership Best of Rest honour

David Gray has urged his men to put a “job done” full stop on the race for third place with a statement victory over St Mirren in Paisley tomorrow night. And he’s said a win over the Buddies, completing a Scottish Premiership clean sweep of victories against all 11 rival clubs, would top off a historic season of unbeaten runs and enormous results against the top teams in the country.

Having been rooted to the foot of the table as recently as early December, Hibs have put together a spectacular comeback – including a run of 17 straight league games without loss. Along the way, they’ve beaten Treble-chasing runaway champions Celtic at Easter Road AND defeated Rangers at Ibrox for the first time in seven years.

Victory tomorrow night would effectively guarantee Hibs finishing Best of the Rest behind Scottish football’s established big two. Currently three points clear of fourth-placed Aberdeen, who face Celtic at Pittodrie tomorrow night, Gray’s team also boast a vastly superior goal difference over the Dons.

As well as the distinction of finishing third, there is likely to be a European bonus to go with the league position. Should Celtic beat Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup final, the third-placed team in Scotland will go into the Europa League play-offs – and be guaranteed Europa Conference League group stage football - next season.

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Invited to rank the importance of a win in Paisley alongside some of the biggest results of the campaign, Gray said: “It'd be huge. It’d be the icing on the cake when you think about where we've been and everything else that goes with that.

“We're not looking past Wednesday night but if you talk about what would be ideal, if we take care of business and go and win the game, then mathematically it might not be done if Aberdeen were to pick up three points. But it would take a very big swing round with goals and everything else.

“I think that would be job done. And you talk about all the memories that we've had and the moments of the season that have been created, some of them negative at the start - and then the positive spin on it. So to put ourselves in this position and be able to do it on Wednesday night would be fantastic and fully deserving.”

St Mirren are the only top-flight side Hibs haven’t beaten over the course of the season. Heading west again off the back of a disappointing defeat to Celtic in Glasgow at the weekend, but with a home game against Rangers on Saturday lurking on the final Saturday of top-six action, Gray said: “It's the one team we've not managed to beat this season. I don't think that's been done for a very long time with a 12-team league, so that's another added incentive for the players.

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“Yeah, that's something that's going on. There's also just what's at stake in the game.

“If you go and beat every single team, think of the big games that they've won, the run that they've gone on, I fully believe they deserve to do it (finish third). But it's never going to be given to us, we need to go and make sure we do everything we can because it'll be a difficult game.

“All we can do is control the controllables. We're in a position, clearly a negative result at Celtic Park, but we all agreed when we left the dressing room, leaving Celtic Park that that has to be right at the very back of your mind and everything changes. Full attention towards St Mirren, because it's still very much in our hands.

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“If we go and win the game, it's irrelevant to what anybody else does, and that's the only message I had for the players after the game. Do everything you possibly can, whether you're frustrated because you're not playing, whether you're frustrated about how you played against Celtic, it really doesn't matter.

“That's all things in the past. We need to be sticking together and making sure we put in the best possible performance, because it'll be a difficult game.”

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